Democrats in deep-red Texas kicked off the nation's 2018 midterm primary elections Tuesday with a surge in turnout, dozens of women seeking office and early signs of midterm anger toward President Donald Trump.

Democrats in deep-red Texas kicked off the nation's 2018 midterm primary elections Tuesday with a surge in turnout, dozens of women seeking office and early signs of midterm anger toward President Donald Trump.

(AP Photo/Susan Walsh, file). FILE -- In this Tuesday Feb. 27, 2018 file photo is Attorney General Jeff Sessions speaking at the National Association of Attorneys General Winter Meeting in Washington. Sessions will speak before the California Peace Off...

The U.S. Justice Department is challenging three California laws that, among other things, bar police from asking people about their citizenship status or participating in federal immigration enforcement activities.

The U.S. Justice Department is challenging three California laws that, among other things, bar police from asking people about their citizenship status or participating in federal immigration enforcement activities.

She officiated the city's first gay marriage before being elected in 2015. She pushed for tremendous growth, helping shape an ever-changing skyline of construction cranes and new high-rises.

When the Barrys' only son died of a drug overdose in July, people across the country rallied to console her and her husband, Bruce. She was the face of a key ballot referendum coming up in May that will ask voters to shoulder tax increases to help build a $5.4 billion transit system.

But Barry's quick political ascent seemed to hit the dirt on Tuesday after a wild, five-week freefall, as she pleaded guilty to stealing thousands of taxpayer dollars to carry on an affair with her former bodyguard and resigned.

Barry stunned the city in late January when she confessed to the extramarital relationship, which began in spring 2016 and continued as her popularity and accomplishments grew. She said the affair ended, but hasn't disclosed when.

"While my time today as your mayor concludes, my unwavering love and sincere affection for this wonderful city and its great people will never come to an end," the 54-year-old Barry said at a news conference shortly after appearing before a judge. She did not take questions.

In court, Barry didn't say how she stole money from the city, but investigators have said they believe she engaged in the affair while she was on city-paid trips and Forrest was on the clock. The district attorney's office later said the restitution Barry agreed to pay as part of her plea deal was for Forrest's travel expenses while he was on personal time.

Barry and her former bodyguard, police Sgt. Robert Forrest, separately pleaded guilty to felony theft. Barry's resignation was part of a plea bargain with prosecutors. She and Forrest were sentenced to three years' probation.

Forrest will return $45,000 that authorities said was paid to him in salary or overtime when he was not actually performing his duties as security chief.

A state investigation into the matter was closed after the pleas, essentially ending the case.

Authorities found two nude or partially nude photos of a woman that were taken by Forrest's phone while he was on duty. The photos were shot last May and October, on days that Barry's travel schedule shows she was on trips to Washington.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation did not identify the woman in the pictures, and Barry has said that if the photos are of her, they were taken without her knowledge.

Vice Mayor David Briley, a fellow Democrat, said his car wouldn't work Tuesday morning, so he decided to take the bus. Soon after, he learned he was about to become mayor.

After he was sworn in Tuesday evening, his first words were: "I need some coffee."

He called Barry "a friend" and said he hoped she would be able to move past "a horrible moment" in her life.

Briley promised transparency and said he will work to restore the public trust.

A special election to choose a new mayor will be held Aug. 2.

Barry apologized when she revealed the affair in January. She denied breaking the law, rebuffed calls for her resignation, and said her husband remained committed to their marriage.

"This is a very bad day. And I'm going to have several more bad days. But this is not my worst day," Barry said then. "And I will tell you I know the difference between a mistake -- I made a serious mistake -- but this is not a tragedy."

Barry had maintained a high profile in the city, appearing routinely at concerts and other events and spearheading a successful effort to bring professional soccer to Nashville.

Before becoming mayor, Barry earned an MBA from Vanderbilt University and was an ethics and compliance officer in the telecommunications and health care industries.

Forrest, who had spent more than 31 years with Metro Nashville Police and supervised the mayor's security detail over three administrations, has retired. His wife filed for divorce soon after the relationship became public.

Police records show Forrest's overtime more than doubled from 2014-15 to the 2016-17 budget year.

The new mayor, in a statement, called it "a hard day for Nashville" but said Barry's resignation "will enable us to regain focus on the important work of our city."

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

(AP Photo/Elise Amendola, File). FILE - This Monday, June 19, 2017, file photo shows a user signing in to Facebook on an iPad, in North Andover, Mass. Facebook has a problem it just can’t kick: People keep exploiting it in ways that could sway election...

News reports that Facebook let the Trump-affiliated data mining firm Cambridge Analytica abscond with data from tens of millions of users mark the third time in roughly a year the company appears to have been outfoxed in this way.

News reports that Facebook let the Trump-affiliated data mining firm Cambridge Analytica abscond with data from tens of millions of users mark the third time in roughly a year the company appears to have been outfoxed in this way.

U.S. President Donald Trump's nominee to head the U.N. migration agency acknowledges a controversy over his social media posts about Muslims and other topics, but insists "retweets are not endorsements" and says he...

U.S. President Donald Trump's nominee to head the U.N. migration agency acknowledges a controversy over his social media posts about Muslims and other topics, but insists "retweets are not endorsements" and says he wants to be judged on his actions.

Authorities said Friday that the cables suspending a pedestrian bridge were being tightened after a "stress test" when the 950-ton concrete span collapsed over traffic, killing at least six people and injuring 10

Authorities said Friday that the cables suspending a pedestrian bridge were being tightened after a "stress test" when the 950-ton concrete span collapsed over traffic, killing at least six people and injuring 10